Is Your Pediatrician's Office Balanced?

Does your pediatrician's office have cans of formula under the "wheel-around" baby scale? Have you ever noticed that your baby's growth chart is made by Ross (a formula company)? How many times have you seen pro-breastfeeding pamphlets or posters in your pediatrician's office?

If your pediatrician is pro-breastfeeding and understands how important it is to you to continue nursing, the formula items in his office may seem contradictory to his beliefs. The fact is, many pediatricians get these items for free and distribute them or promote them because it is convenient and they want (or need) to get rid of them. In fact, most of these freebie items come unannounced and without invitation. It is just another way for formula companies to promote their products.

So what can you do to help your pediatricians office become more breastfeeding-friendly? First, you must realize that your pediatrician is not likely to discard these formula items or refrain from making them available. It wouldn't be fair to the mothers who choose not to breastfeed, or women who need to wean to formula after nursing for a short time. But, you can encourage your pediatrician to obtain pro-breastfeeding materials for his office, such as Medela brochures (as well as other respected breast pump manufacturer's brochures), breastfeeding posters, and leaflets or business cards for local lactation consultants, LLLI groups and other breastfeeding support groups.

You could even go a step further and ask your pediatrician to subscribe to Mothering magazine and other pro-breastfeeding publications. If you have a subscription to something you feel is very nursing-friendly, you could donate your back issues to the waiting room area. Some offices might even take books such as the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by LLLI, if you offered them.

Explain why you think his office should try not to be so pro-formula, especially if they recognize and support the benefits of breastfeeding. Be honest about your feelings. If you think the formula under the scale is like an open invitation to say, "Your baby isn't gaining well this week, here is a can of formula," tell him. Chances are, this was just a convenient place for storage because it is wheeled into every room. He may not have even thought of that connection and may agree that it could make mothers assume formula equals better weight gain.

You don't have to be a breastfeeding advocate to help your pediatrician's office become more balanced in it's resources and promotions. Think of your pediatrician's position: he is trying to make his office a friendly place for all parents, not just a specific group of parents. He may be too busy or preoccupied to be able to see his surroundings from a fresh view point. A helpful reminder is all that should be needed to gently swing him to a more balanced formula/breastfeeding stance.

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